Affections Know No Bounds
by Hazel Roses
Summary: Rukia is a nursing student making her way through college. Despite the fact that she doesn't go out of her way to meet people, she finds herself forming relationships with quite a few. That is a good thing, except for the fact that she starts to crush on each of them. Some of the relationships can get her into a lot of trouble and she's isn't sure what she should do. RukiaxHarem
1. I

**So I've been dying to write a RukiaxHarem fic because of Rock and Tribulations story. If you haven't read that, you will love it. It is a musician story done correctly!**

**So you read correctly. Rukia will be forming relationships with multiple people. I'm trying to decide if she will end up with one person, or with more than one. Decisions, decisions…**

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Such a beautiful landscape. The trees were thick and tall, the leaves matching the tall grass. The sun was high in the sky, white fluffy clouds billowing with the gentle wind. It wasn't too hot outside, but cool enough to where long sleeves and be comfortable. The birds were chirping softly as they flew in their formation off to the east. It was such a beautiful location and it felt like paradise. A loud car horn broke the daydreaming woman from her thoughts.

She looked around to see tall buildings, the streets lined with cars, and pedestrians scurrying to get to where they needed to be. Someone brushed against her shoulder rudely, nearly knocking the shorter woman on her butt.

"Watch where you're walking!" the male hollered at her before continuing on his hurried way.

"You jerk!" she shouted after him. "Why do people have to act like they have no manners in this city?"

Unfortunately, the thoughts on a quiet natural orientated were just a faraway dream. Rukia hoped that one day she would be able to live like that, but as of right now, that was not the case. Rukia was currently going to school for nursing while rooming with a friend from high school Orihime. Her friend was also in school so they didn't really have the best apartment, but they made it work. Right now, it was time for work at a little coffee shop called Mezamiz part time. Being in nursing made it had to actually do anything else with all the studying she had to do, but this was her break.

Soon she was walking through the door and welcomed the scent of coffee and pastries. There was someone setting up for open mic night and people were in different areas using their laptops or drawing. It was such an artistic place to be. Rukia honestly enjoyed coming to work. She got to listen to music and converse with people who had the same interests as her. Despite nursing being her major, drawing was something the dark haired woman had always enjoyed doing. That didn't mean she was very good at it, but she still loved to pick up a pencil and let her mind go to work on a blank sheet of paper.

"Hey, hey Rukia!" her boss shouted at her while cleaning a plate. His turquoise eyes seemed to brighten the room. "Ready to start the day?"

The woman heard him, but she was still a bit annoyed with how that guy acted when he bumped into her. Seriously, why be an asshole when it's your fault you ran into someone?

"_Don't you hear me talking to you?!" _

Rukia was pulled out abruptly out of her thoughts at her manager's booming voice. She blinked at how quickly he had moved from around the counter and was now towering over her. He placed a hand on top of her head and leaned down.

"You know," he said. "It's impolite to ignore someone when they speak to you."

"Sorry!" she said quickly. "Morning Kaien!"

He smiled widely. "That's more like it!"

It was very easy to fall into the flow of working. The people who came to Mezamiz were a different brand of people. They were artistic which made it much easier to converse with people whether it was about drawing or music. She loved the surroundings as well. The walls were wood paneling, small tables with different tile designs on each. There was a section where a microphone and amps could be hooked up and a young male quickly took advantage of the small area. People were laughing and drinking different coffee beverages or sipping on Mascato. That brought a smile to her face. How many coffee shops served alcohol?

Luckily she was able to have a little wine while on the job as well. The limit was one drink every two hours to make sure no one was starting to get intoxicated, and she was long overdue for an Angry Orchard hard apple cider. Classes today had kicked her butt. She was currently taking Anatomy and Physiology I. this teacher was definitely a tyrant when it came to work, but it was clear she wanted to make sure that her students actually knew the material. That was a good thing, but studying ate up at her free time.

"I'm going to go check if anyone needs plate brought up," Rukia called to her co-worker. "Can you watch the front?"

"Sure thing Rukia!" a dark haired girl called as she quickly ran up to the front. "I'll take care of it!"

Momo's enthusiastic attitude was brought a smile to her face. She always seemed to be so happy go lucky. Rukia wished she could have such an optimistic look on things, but people seemed to make it hard to act like that. Wiping her hands on a cloth, Rukia began making rounds to the tables, collecting empty plates, cups, and bottles from the customers. She returned, walking behind the counter to put the dishes in the sink and toss the bottles when she saw someone walk in.

"Rukia! Yoo hoo!"

Rukia smiled when she saw her friend Rangiku waving frantically at her. The smile vanished when she saw how much cleavage the orange-haired girl had exposed. It wasn't usual. Rangiku loved to flaunt her curvy figure and that was clear from the low cut tie around shirt she had on and short jean shorts. Her long hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and thick sunglasses were on her face. She pulled them off and moved over to where Rukia was standing with a bin full of dishes and bottles.

"Hey Rangiku," Rukia greeted. "What brings you here?"

"I came to see you of course darling," she cooed. "What are you doing tonight?"

Rukia blinked. "Um, studying?"

Rangiku laughed. "Oh come on. You've been putting me off for weeks now! Why not call in the towel tonight and go out with me and some friends?"

It was a Friday and Rukia honestly didn't have anything she was planning to do other than study. Rangiku had been on her ever since the first day they met on campus. It was Rukia's first day of English class and she was utterly and completely lost. Shinigami University was an extremely large campus and the map she had might as well have been written in some alien language because that was how much sense it was making to her. After walking around the same building for the third time and getting ready to rip the stupid map in half, she heard giggling.

Rukia turned around to see Rangiku standing behind her with a gentle smile on her face. She had three other women with her at the time and they all were watching as well. Rukia's first thought about Rangiku was that she was beautiful and her breasts were fantastic. She tried not to stare, but they seemed to be looking at _her. _Rukia wasn't into women, but she could sure appreciate…or be jealous of Rangiku's assets.

"_Let me guess," she said while stepping closer. "You're a newbie huh?" _

"_Something like that," Rukia responded, still turning her map over._

"_Here, let me help." _

_Rukia handed the taller woman her class list. "I'm looking for Mr. Ukitake's English I class."_

"_Aw, you really are a freshmen," Rangiku cooed. "Come on, I'll show you where it is."_

From then on, Rangiku asked Rukia at least once a week to go do something. Rukia didn't mind. She loved how friendly Rangiku was and how welcome she made her feel. Many of their evenings spent together began with Rangiku attempting different hair styles on her. She was going to school to be a beautician and she was very good at it so far.

Rukia took a deep breath. "Sure, it can't hurt."

After her eight hour shift was up, Rukia began walking back home. Luckily she only lived about a block away and the area was well lit, so she didn't feel uncomfortable walking around when it was dark. The weather was starting to get chilly. It was frustrating that it didn't get cold until late November. Winter was Rukia's favorite season, especially when there was snow. There was nothing more beautiful than looking at a white wonderland with a cup of hot chocolate in her grasp.

One thing that would not be as fun with it getting cold was getting dressed for the club that night. Rukia was actually feeling a bit nervous. She had only been out once to a club once and her experience of having a drunk spill his drink down the front of her shirt was not a pleasant one. Orihime really wasn't the type to go out to bars either so Rukia didn't have anyone driving her to go. It was completely different with Rangiku. She was a party girl who was into drinking and probably mild illegal drugs. She often planned parties at her frat's building and the cops almost always ended up getting called because things would get too rowdy. Rukia hoped that wouldn't happen because she would kindly take her leave of absence.

Rukia finally reached the stairs leading up to her apartment and frowned. That stupid dog was barking again. It barked all day and all night long for a week straight now. No matter how many times she complained to the after-hours, the dog would eventually start barking again and the owners wouldn't do anything about it. Rukia didn't feel like having a confrontation with them just yet, but if it kept up, she definitely would be banging on their door demanding an explanation.

After fumbling with her keys for a few moments, Rukia pushed on the front door to open it after twisting the lock. The lights were off so Rukia assumed that Orihime must be working late that night. She worked at a local super market that was open 24 hours. Sometimes they were able to get groceries a discounted if they were going to go bad soon so that was a nice plus to that.

Making her way through the living room, Rukia headed down the hall and turned right into her room. It was a little after nine o clock. Rangiku was coming to pick her up at 10:30 so she had to go ahead and start getting dress. Rukia felt a little adrenaline move through her body as she went to her closet to decide on what to wear. Did she really want to go out to a club? A few drinks with Rangiku did sound nice and what was the worst that could happen?

After rummaging for a few minutes, Rukia decided on a black dress that stopped mid-thigh. She loved that dress because it hugged close to her body and showed off what little curves she did have. It had long sleeves so that would help with the chill of when she was outside. Her violent gaze moved over her shoes and she silently pitied how few she had. Luckily there was a pair of black boots she had that matched with just about anything. Those would work for tonight.

Quickly grabbing some underwear and a towel, Rukia entered the bathroom and placed her things on the marbled counter. She took her phone out of her pocket and placed it on the music dock. She liked to listen to music any time she was getting ready to go out with friends. It helped change her mindset from work and school to fun. Rukia bobbed her head to be beat and began to sing along with the Three Days Grace song that was blaring through the speakers.

It took her twenty minutes to shower and wash her hair. Rukia stepped out and began to dry off, feeling goose bumps rise on her skin from the cooler atmosphere outside of the shower. She towel dried her hair as well and began the process of applying lotion to her skin. She didn't really need it, but it was cucumber melon, her favorite scent. She inhaled the sweet scent for a moment, thoroughly tempted to wear her perfume that matched that lotion, but she didn't want to overdo it.

Deciding against wearing perfume, Rukia quickly put on her undergarments and pulled the dress over her head, which made her hair messier than it already was.

"I swear, you suck sometimes," she muttered to her locks as she picked up a brush and ran it through her damp locks.

Fifteen minutes later, she was completely ready to go. Rukia gave herself a once over in the middle. Silver was definitely her choice for jewelry. The necklace that enhanced her neck as well as the silver bracelets and large hoop earrings seemed to make her eyes look brighter. She grabbed a grey parka and headed for the living room. For some reason, she was a little nervous. Rukia honestly was not the party type although she did like to drink every now in then. Maybe she was just over thinking things.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Rukia jumped up, purse and keys in hand, and headed to answer it. Rangiku was standing there looking as flawless as ever. The green halter top dress she had on was very form fitting. It stopped mid-thigh, showing off her long and toned legs. Her orange hair was in waves that caressed her face and shoulders. Rukia almost felt a little intimidated by how good she looked. It was the same for the two friends that were with her. One was very exotic looking with bronzed skin and bright golden eyes. Her purple hair was in a high pony tail that brushed her lower back.

Another woman with a hardened look on her face was with them as well. Majority of her hair was short, but she had two longer pieces that came down to mid-back. Her attire was more conservative yet still managed to enhance her features. She locked eyes with Rukia for a moment before looking away.

"Well don't you look beautiful," Rangiku cooed. She turned to the two women with her. "This is Yoruichi," she said, pointing at the woman with the purple hair.

Yoruichi gave her a smile. "Nice to formally meet you Rukia."

"It's nice to meet you too," Rukia responded, gazing up at the taller woman and returning her smile.

"I'm Soi Fon," the other woman stated.

Rukia gave Soi Fon a wave. "I nice to meet you as well."

"Likewise," was her short response.

"Alright ladies!" Rangiku exclaimed while clapping her hands together. "Let's get going! The boys are already waiting."

"Boys?" Rukia questioned.

It took less than fifteen minutes for the group of women to arrive at Club Soul Reaper. Rukia didn't know if she liked the sound of the name. It sounded dreary…and dangerous. She surveyed their surroundings as they got out of the car and was surprised to see a line wrapped around the building to get in. How popular was this place? Music was blaring so loud, it could be heard outside the building. Despite the chilly weather, many women were wearing revealing dresses. Rukia frowned deeply. She'd rather be warm than cute.

Rangiku grasped Rukia's hand and headed towards the front of the long line. There was a large male standing at the front to let people in. Rukia found him very unattractive with his receding hair line and large lips and nose. He turned to look at them while they approached. He held his arms out and gave a wide grin.

"Rangiku! Didn't expect to see you here tonight."

"Of course I'm here Yammy!" Rangiku answered. "Who wouldn't be when Kensei is here?"

"He does have quite the reputation," Yammy answered. He unhooked the rope that was separating the girls from him. "You and your ladies head on in. I know you're on the guest list."

"You're such a sweetie Yammy." The orange haired woman shot him a flirtatious smile. "See you later!"

"What kind of connections do you have for him to just let us waltz in here?" Yoruichi questioned as they walked down the darkened hallway that was lit with black lights.

"I did him a favor, that's all," Rangiku stated., throwing her long locks over her shoulder. "Come on ladies, let's go find the boys."

Rukia had no idea what "boys" her friend was talking about. She didn't know any males other than Kaien. The brunette had been too focused on her studies to worry about the opposite sex. She had a few guys try and approach them, but she swiftly turned them down. She would have all the time in the world for dating when she was finished with nursing school.

She also wanted to know who this Kensei guy was. Yammy and Rangiku made him sound like he must be someone important. Rukia had never heard of him, but that wasn't surprising with her lack of a social life. Violet orbs gazed around at the inside of the club. It was a massive two story area with people dancing everywhere. The bar had every drink anyone could ever want. There were Gogo dancers in cages dancing high above the dance floor and a large fountain with rainbow changing lights glittered through the water. Rangiku led them through the busy dance floor over to an answer that had couches viewing over the night club.

There were two males already sitting down and having drinks. Rukia didn't recognize any of them. One had two females on either side of him, his arms on their shoulders. His white hair was spiked and he had his black vest open, exposing rock hard abs.

_He looks like a douche bag, _Rukia thought to herself as they climbed the stairs to join them.

"Kensei!" Rangiku exclaimed, moving to sit in the man's lap. "It's been too long since I last saw you."

Kensei moved his arms from around the other girls' shoulders to place one arm in Rangiku's lap and the other one behind her back. The two other females frowned at the display in front of them. He gave her a smile before leaning closer to her. He ran his fingers gently down her neck.

"I don't like it when you make me wait Rangiku." He looked over at Yoruichi, So Fon, and Rukia. "Who are your friends?"

"Who are you?" Soi Fon said with a cold attitude.

Yoruichi brushed a hand down her shoulder to her lower back. "No reason to be mean Soi Fon dear," she said sweetly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Yoruichi."

"Same to you Yoruichi and you as well Slick Mouth."

Soi Fon's eyes narrow. "You must be out of your-"

"So!" Rangiku interrupted before things escalated too far. She looked over at Kaien. "It's time to get some drinks going!"

"Hell yeah!" a male with shocking blue hair moved towards them with a bottle of Tequila in one hand and shot cups. "Who's going to take shots?"

"Grimmjow," Kaien started. "Let's get the ladies something more elegant."

"I'll take a Tequila shot," Soi Fon spoke. "If you meant some fruity drink, I don't need that."

"I like your attitude," Grimmjow said, giving her a fanged smile and placing the items on a clear able in front of them. He adjusted his plaid shirt around the collar and moved closer to the brunette. "Maybe you should take a shot with me beautiful."

"Tch," she scoffed. "You're barking up the wrong tree."

Yoruichi laughed at that statement. She leaned down and poured five shots, handing them to each person. The two women who were on either side of Kensei had left when they realized they were being ignored. Yoruichi held out her hand to give Rukia a shot, which she declined.

"Sorry, but I hate tequila."

"Aww," Yoruichi said. "Well the bar will definitely have drinks you'll like."

That sounded like a good idea. At this point, Rukia was starting to feel like a third wheel…or a sixth. She hadn't even been acknowledged and she was a little hesitant to jump into being involved with new people. Rukia was a skeptical person and it took a while for her to actually want to get to know someone. She was a loner, someone who worked perfectly fine on her own. Still, it was about that time she decided to get some friends. Maybe she'd do that after she went to a bar and got a drink or two. That always helped her to relax.

She informed Rangiku of where she was going before heading to the bar. She sat down on the tall bar stool, having to step up in order to do so. She crossed her legs and placed her elbows on the clear counter. Her gaze turned to look at the dance floor once more. Scantily clad women were grinding their bodies to the beat, some with a partner and some just by themselves. Rukia wasn't much of a dancer, but for some reason, she enjoyed watching people when they were socializing. She didn't know if that made her creepy, but just the way people interacted with each other and how different it varied was interesting to her. At the moment, she watched as a male approached a female from behind and attempted to dance with her. The woman looked over her shoulder with a frown and moved away. Rukia snickered a little at that.

"Why don't you tell me what's so funny?"

She looked over to see the most beautiful cinnamon colored eyes. Rukia's gaze moved over his features. His bright orange hair was spiked in different directions, angular jaw, clear skin, and when he gave her a sultry smile, Rukia felt her heart speed up in her chest. He was very attractive and the small stud earring in his right ear seemed to bring out his features even more. Her eyes dropped to his exposed muscular arms and glued to the sight of his biceps flexing.

Rukia blinked to bring herself out of her trance. "Just watching people get rejected on the dance floor."

"Sounds interesting," he said while wiping the counter in front of him with a white wash cloth. "Can I get you something to drink while you watch?"

"What would you recommend?" Rukia questioned, linking her fingers together.

"Well," he started. "Tell me what kind of week you've had."

"Okay…um."

"Ichigo," he finished for her. "And your name is?"

"Rukia," she answered. "Well I'm a nursing student and I had a really tough test in Anatomy this week as well as a paper I have to write explaining the progression of diabetes. I'm also currently trying to figure out how I will manage to study for my next test while doing twelve hour clinicals at the local ER."

"Sounds like you need a break, something to relax your nerves."

Ichigo turned his back to her and began mixing drinks together. Rukia watched as he raised bottles high over the glass and poured them without splashing any out. After a few moments, he turned back to her and placed a drink that was the same color as tea in front of her. Rukia picked up the glass an examined it before taking a sip.

"Wow, this is delicious," she commented. "What is it?"

"It's mango peach sangria." Ichigo leaned over the counter. "It's currently a favorite. I like it myself, but don't tell anyone. They'll make fun of me."

Rukia laughed while continuing to drink her beverage. She an Ichigo continued to talk and she realized he was very easy to get along with. They joked, poked fun at each other, and just enjoyed each other's company. After two more sangrias, the brunette was starting to feel buzzed. She had grown comfortable around Ichigo to the point where she didn't feel like going back to join Rangiku and her friends. Still, they were her ride home so she'd better make sure that they didn't continue drinking. Someone had to drive them home. It wasn't that far so she technically could walk, but she'd rather not. The streets of Tokyo could be very dangerous at night and she didn't want to risk getting herself into unnecessary trouble.

"Well, I better go see what my company is up to," Rukia said as she stood, making sure to hold onto counter so she didn't ungracefully trip over her feet. "It was nice talking to you."

"Nice talking to you too Rukia," Ichigo called.

The orange haired male immediately began to move to another area of the bar to help someone else. Rukia made her way back to the area where Rangiku and the others were. They clearly had been drinking more than she had. She climbed the stairs to be ambushed by Soi Fon who had a red blush underneath her cheeks.

"You're beautiful, you know that?" she slurred, placing her arms on each of Rukia's shoulders. "Such beautiful skin and your eyes are amazing."

"Thank you," Rukia stated while assisting the drunk woman to the couch. "I think you've had enough Soi Fon."

When Rukia sat Soi Fon down, the taller woman pulled her into her lap and wrapped her arms around Rukia's waist. "I've had just enough and I can tell from the alcohol that I want to kiss you."

Rukia untangled herself from Soi Fon's arms. "Maybe when you're sober."

She turned her attention to the four other people and realized she would never ever be going out to a club with them again. Rangiku was busy making out with Kensei while Yoruichi was giving Grimmjow a very interesting lap dance. Grimmjow hand his hands linked behind his head as he watched her movements. This was not something Rukia was expecting. She might as well have not even come. Rukia looked over her shoulder at the bar, but didn't see that tuff of orange hair. She was a bit disappointed about that.

Looking at her watch and realizing she just may have to walk home because every person she came with was drunk, Rukia moved over to Rangiku and tapped her on the shoulder. At first, the two ignored her and that ticked Rukia off.

"_Hey!" _she shouted in Rangiku's ear.

The woman jumped. "What the hell Rukia I-"

"I'm leaving," she interrupted. "I'm going to walk home since it isn't that far from my apartment. You all need to call a cab. Don't attempt to drive home."

"Kay," Rangiku answered simply before Kensei pulled her mouth to his once more.

Rukia frowned in disgust. Rangiku was sweet, but she definitely had no modesty in her affections for Kensei. All the sexual tension was making Rukia uncomfortable so she headed towards the door. Outside, the temperature had dropped at least twenty degrees as the night progress. Her teeth began to chatter and she wrapped her arms around her body in an attempt to stay warm. The frosty air felt as if it was whipping at her skin. Her eyes began to water and her fingers were immediately going numb.

Gazing down the brightly light street, Rukia began wondering if she should walk home or take her own advice of getting a cab. If she did, she'd have to stand there for another twenty minutes in the cold as well as pay someone when she could make the trip home on foot in ten minutes. After contemplating it for a while, she decided to take the chance and head home by herself.

The area was eerily quiet other than the wind whistling in her ears and the crunch of snow underneath her feet. Once again, her mind wandered to Ichigo and she wondered if she would ever see him again. The brunette refused to go back again with her new friends after what she saw tonight. She sighed. Well at least she had a good conversation.

Rukia changed her mind from her thoughts and paid more attention to her surroundings. She was always on edge, always making sure to stay focused to make sure if something did happen, she would be prepared for it. Five years ago, her older sister Hisana had been attacked and dragged into a van where she was drugged. The man took her to his house, raped her, shot her in the head before turning the gun on himself. Hisana had been looking down at her phone at the time of the attack so Rukia made sure she was paying attention to her surroundings. She was quite nervous and decided next time that she should take a taxi to keep herself safe.

Luckily, she arrived home without any incident. Rukia bounded up the stairs, excited to be so close to warmth. Trying to unlock her front door with numb fingers proved to be harder than she imagined. After dropping her keys once in the process, Rukia managed to open the door and quickly move inside while closing the cold outside the door. She blew into her hands as she walked, in an attempt to regain feeling in her hands. She moved into her room and quickly changed into pajamas before diving underneath the covers. It only took minutes for her to fall asleep.

Rukia was jolted out of her sleep. She looked around blearily, trying to figure out what was making that awful noise. Her eyebrows furrowed in anger. It was the stupid dog again barking. Turning over, she looked at the clock on her dresser to see it was three o'clock in the morning. She had been asleep for only two hours.

"That's it," Rukia seethed, jumping out of bed and reaching for her large black jacket.

She put on some slippers and stomped angrily to go confront the douche bag who was not considerate enough to make their dog be quiet this early in the morning. Rukia opened the front door and moved across the hallway to where the irritating barking was loud and clear. She banged her fist as hard as she could on the door. At first no one came, but she continued to hit the door, fueled by anger.

Finally she heard, "What the fuck!" and someone unlocked the door.

A male was standing there in a black muscle shirt, and grey sweat pants. He leaned against the door frame, long red hair slipping over his shoulders. Tattoos covered his arms. He glared at her angrily, but she was too livid at the moment to care.

"Whaddya want this early in the damn morning," he snapped.

"How about you shut your fucking dog up and I won't have to come over here at ass crack a.m in the morning!" she shouted. "I know you can hear it barking too! Have some decency and see what the damn thing wants!"

"It doesn't want anything, it just barks!" he shouted back. "It's just a damn puppy and doesn't like when she's in her kennel! The only way to get her used to being in it is by ignoring her whining when I know she doesn't need anything!"

"_I don't care!"_ Rukia yelled. "Had you have been polite enough to _tell _your neighbors that you were kennel training, it might not have come to this!"

"Do you know what the hell time it is?!"

Someone else shouted that from the inside of the house. Rukia lowered her stance and shouted underneath the guy's arm, "Yes, now do something about the dog and we can all go back to sleep!"

She heard shuffling and suddenly the door was flung open. "Why don't you go the hell away you screeching bi-"

He stopped mid-sentence and Rukia's eyes widened. "Ichigo?"

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**Who knew they were neighbors lol. Hope you guys like the first chapter! As for who all will be part of the harem, you'll just have to wait and watch! I'm thinking no more than five, but the fifth one will not actually end up in a relationship with Rukia. Review and let me know what you guys think!**


	2. II

**Thank you anonon, NarutoLuver896, Scarlotte O'Hara, Read Love and Review, Eliza Writes, Ej (BTW Toshiro will ****not**** be included in this harem. Probably not in the story because I don't like him that much), Docta Boogie, SvetlanaSparkle, yuiyuki, Guest, Trance20666, and Merikatori for reviewing! **

**I didn't expect this story to get 12 reviews on just the first chapter! I guess I'm not the only one who likes Rukia harems!**

* * *

Rukia and Ichigo locked eyes for a moment. He was the _last _person she expected to see living across the way from her. How long had he been there? Rukia had been living in her apartment with Orihime for over six months and never saw Ichigo before. Then again, he worked at night when she was locked in her room studying or just coming home from work. This was not the way she wanted to see him again: tall rainbow colored socks, bunny slippers, a shirt that was way too big for her, and her hair sticking in fifteen different directions. She subconsciously began trying to smooth her hair down.

The red head looked from Ichigo to Rukia. "Do you guys know each other?"

"Just met her tonight," Ichigo said without dropping his gaze with her. "Didn't know she wasn't a puppy fan."

Rukia blinked. Was he being passive aggressive towards her? What a _jerk! _Well two could play it that way, but Rukia didn't know how to do passive. She brushed past the male at the door and into their apartment.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Ichigo exclaimed. "You're-"

"Shut up!" she shouted. "Maybe you should learn to be more considerate to your neighbors asshole! If you can't keep that dog quiet, I'm calling after hours on your asses!"

She turned and stomped away, slamming her door behind her before the two males could say anything. Ichigo looked at his roommate. "Renji?"

"Yeah?"

"She's a bitch when she's mad."

"Yeah, I know."

Renji closed the door as well, shivering a bit from standing in the doorway without a shirt. He ran a hand through his crimson locks. "You said you met her tonight? Where at the club?"

Ichigo nodded as he began moving towards the living room. Surprisingly, Kiko was no longer barking. Perhaps the commotion had frightened her into sleeping. When he turned to the left and entered the dining area, the large cage was covered with a blanket. It looked like she had gotten frustrated about not being answered that she pulled the comforter into her kennel. Ichigo chuckled a little and heard her rustling. Immediately she began to whine and bark.

Ichigo looked at his watch and realized it had been a little over two hours since she last went out. She probably did have to go to the bathroom. Being only eight weeks old, she didn't have much bladder control let. Grabbing a black hoodie that was draped over one of the chair, he pulled it over his head and moved back to the kitchen to get her leash and a treat. Renji was standing in the kitchen walk way, leaning against the wall.

He smirked. "You better quiet her down before little shit comes over here again."

"I'm working on it," Ichigo responded. "I met her at work last night and we clicked. She's pretty funny and relaxed...just not when she's like that."

Renji laughed. "So should I expect to see more of her?"

"As long as we have Kiko, probably."

"She's actually pretty cute," Renji commented. "I'd like to see her without a beet red face, her hair brushed, and outfit not meant for a circus clown."

Ichigo laughed at that, placing half a Beggin Strip treat in his pocket and siding his fingers to the clip of her leash. "I've seen her dressed up and she's not bad to look at, but if she's crazy like that when she's mad, I'm not going to deal with it."

Renji shrugged and padded back to his room. Ichigo listen to Kiko's whining for a moment, standing in the walk way silently. The moment she stopped, the orange haired male moved to her kennel and uncovered her. Kiko began to whine again, jumping up and down on the kennel door. Ichigo leaned down and reached through the bars causing her to stop whimpering to lick his hand.

"Good girl," he murmured, opening the kennel door and hooking her leash on as quickly as possible.

They made a beeline for the front door and he stopped to put his his converses on. He didn't bother to tie them, knowing he was on a short time limit. He looked down to see Kiko beginning to squat.

"_No_!" he shouted frantically.

He hauled her up and threw open the door, the puppy peeing the whole way down the stairs. By the time he got her to the grass, she looked up at him quizzically, cocking her head to the left. Ichigo sighed. Of course she was already finished now. Might as well walk her a little to see if she had any other business she had to take care of.

The blue nose pit bull puppy sniffed the ground eagerly, her tail wagging happily as she went. Maybe Ichigo should have put something on her to keep her warm, but with her working on potty training and the many accidents she had already had in her kennel, that was out of the question. They would just have to hurry it up.

Kiko began to walk funny as she circle a little small area. Ichigo praised her and told her what a good girl she was as she went to the bathroom, afterwards giving her the treat in his pocket. The chilly wind was biting right through his pajama pants so it was time to head back upstairs. He had classes in the morning and getting up this early was not going to help him stay awake in class.

The two of them bounded up the stairs. Slowly of course, since the stairs were only a little smaller than Kiko so she could only climb one at a time. It was actually pretty cute, especially when she tumbled back on to the step behind her. They made it upstairs and he put the puppy to bed. Of course, she began to whine the minute she was put back in her kennel. This was going to be a long journey.

* * *

Rukia woke to the sun filtering on her face. She immediately turned over and put a pillow over her head. When was she going to stop procrastinating and buy some thicker curtains for her window? Every morning, she was irritated at the fact that she had been woken up by the sun. Sighing, she sat up and looked at her alarm clock. It was a little after eight. At least she didn't have to use the alarm because the sun woke her up.

Sitting up and stretching, Rukia scratched her head and then swung her legs over the side over her bed. Her slippers were right beside her bed. Last night's rage fest came back to mind. Maybe she should apologize, but was it really that hard for them to tell their neighbors that they are kennel training a puppy? Most people would be understanding to that. Rukia herself had gone through that many times throughout her childhood and teenage years. She guessed that they could use some tips on how to work with her.

Getting out of bed, she quickly put on some warmer clothes and through her coat on. After brushing her teeth and hair, Rukia grabbed an old kennel training book she had and walked across the way. Her heart was beating a mile a minute in her chest. Their last encounter had been very...explosive, but hopefully everything would go alright.

Rukia was hoping Ichigo would answer the door, but alas, it was the red head from last night with all the tattoos. Seriously, was he in a gang or something? At least he had on more clothes this time and the navy blue long sleeve shirt clashed nicely with his hair. He actually didn't look that tired. His cinnamon colored irises gazed down at her and it was at that moment she realized just how short she was.

"She's not barking right now so why are you here?" he asked.

It wasn't really an abrasive tone, but still a little irritated. Rukia tried to stifle her temper. "What, I can't say hello to my neighbors after I yell at them?"

The male laughed. "You're something else. What was your name again?"

"Rukia," she answered. The woman held out the book to him. "This is a kennel training book I used to use. It's very helpful. And what was your name?"

"Renji."

The way his name rolled off his tongue was so sultry. He and Ichigo must make all the girls swoon. She rolled her eyes at that thought. Renji took the book from her hands and began flipping through the pages.

"Thanks," he said. "I guess this will help make it a bit easier."

"You're welcome and sorry for acting the way I did last night, " Rukia responded. "That was just the last straw. I'll be sure to get some earplugs."

Renji laughed. "Yeah you do that. Thanks." Rukia turned to walk away when she heard Renji call her name. She looked at him quizzically as he stood to his full height. "We're having a couple of people over tonight for drinks and food if you were interested. It's easy to get good drinks when your roommate is a bar tender. He actually wanted me to ask you before you came over this morning."

"Well why didn't he ask me himself?" Rukia crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot waiting for an answer.

Renji laughed and she was about to see how sharp his canines were. "Feisty huh? He's at his college classes right now or else he would have asked you later this afternoon, but since he doesn't know your schedule, he just got eager."

She had to work today from two until ten at Mezamiz. She really should study; there was a test tomorrow on chapter seven in her anatomy book. It was over the muscles and she was having a hard time memorizing them. What if she studied this morning before class and while on the job when it was quiet? Wait, why was she so willing to go to switch her schedule around for her neighbors? She thought about that for a moment and the same thoughts of why she went out with Rangiku surfaced: she had no friends. Maybe Orihime would be willing to go with her. She'd ask her when she woke up. Since she was working at night, she slept during the day.

"Do I need to bring anything?" Rukia questioned.

"Nah, just show up," Renji responded. "Hope to see ya there Rukia."

Rukia went inside and began to shed her extra clothes. It was about time for some breakfast. She was in the mood for a Western breakfast of scrambled eyes, bacon, and toast. Yum...toast. While the dark haired woman began getting the items she needed for her breakfast, she heard her phone ringing from her room. Placing her skillet on the counter, she dashed for her room and pulled her phone off the charger. Looking at the name, frowned. It was Rangiku. She honestly wasn't up for her antics this early in the morning. How was she even awake after last night?

"Hello?"

"Good morning darling!" came Rangiku said cheerfully. "I just wanted to see how you were doing. I vaguely remember you telling me you were leaving."

"I felt a little excluded and uncomfortable," Rukia said honestly. "You guys were drunk and all over each other."

"I'm very sorry sweetie," Rangiku said humbly. "I just get so excited when I'm around Kensei. He's something sexy, wouldn't you say?"

"Yeah sure thing," Rukia answered. "Um, I'm in the middle of cooking breakfast right now so I'll have to let you go.

"Okay Rukia," Rangiku answered. "I'd like to make it up to you though. Want to go out again tonight? I promise to be a better host."

Her thoughts immediately went to the get together Renji had invited her to and it sounded a thousand times better than going back to that club. The only good thing about it had been meeting Ichigo, but he's most likely going to be there since he had Renji ask her to go. She politely declined.

"Aww," Rangiku pouted. "Well I'll see you around dear!"

Rukia hung up the phone and headed back to the kitchen. She really liked Rangiku, but if what she experienced last night is how she lives her life, Rukia would skip out on those parts. She wasn't the type to be as open as the women were last night and unfortunately, Rukia didn't force herself to be in situations she don't want to be in. It didn't take long for her to finish breakfast and she dug in before her food had time to cool down, nearly burning her mouth in the process. Maybe she should have gotten a glass of milk or something.

Wiping her mouth after breakfast, Rukia placed her dishes in the dishwasher after cleaning them. It was now time to study. Making her way back to her room, the brunette sat at her desk, her notes thrown precariously over the desk and her book. She sighed and rubbed her temples before plopping down in the uncomfortable wooden chair. Rukia didn't know why she insisted on sitting at the table instead of studying in bed. Oh, because she would fall asleep if she laid in bed. That theory had been proven correct numerous times over. Still, the sooner she got started, the faster she'd learn something...hopefully.

* * *

Ichigo was headed to his car after class. Did he really want to get involved with criminal justice? These essays were starting to run him ragged. Wrapping his red scarf tighter around his next and pulling his black hat further down on his head, he briskly walked to his car, pressing that wonderful button on his keys that turned his car on before he got there. Too bad he hadn't remembered to press it the moment he spotted his car. The sky was a dark grey, hinting that snow was inevitable. Fuck he hated the cold. He was counted down the days until when he could wear tank tops again.

Shifting his books in his arms, Ichigo got into his vehicle. He probably should stop by the liquor store and get things to mix for the night as well as beer. Then again, he should drag Renji with him. That shit would let Ichigo pay for everything if he didn't watch him. Just like how this pup they had was his idea, yet Ichigo was doing the majority of training. Fucking jerk...

He wondered if his roommate had asked Rukia to come over that night. He told him to and Renji's first response was why. She had after all just ripped them both a new asshole. "Tch, freaking crazy midget," he muttered to himself.

Even still, he could remember their talk the night before. At first, she seemed a little quiet and shy, but once they starting relaxing, some thanks partially to the alcohol, it was like they had known each other for years. He hadn't talked like that with anyone in a very long time. Ichigo had it in his mind that he and Rukia could end up being good friends. He would want to ring her scrawny neck when she got like how she was when she nearly beat down their door, but that was okay.

Ichigo made it home and began making his way up the stairs, being careful not to slip on them. He had busted his ass enough times to where people who giggled at him previously just rolled their eyes. Luckily, he made it up with no incidents and quickly moved into the warm embrace of the apartment. Kiko was already barking and whining to be let out. Hopefully Renji had remembered to take her outside before he left.

Turning the corner, Ichigo scowled and realized that wasn't the case. Kiko was whimpering while jumping up and down in a puddle of pee. His frown deepened when he realized she was splashing it on the tile around her. Well, at least it wasn't carpet. Ichigo irritably walked to the towards the kitchen to get the frantic puppy's leash, but something caught his eye. There was a book on the counter and curiosity caused the male to pick it up.

"How to Train Your Dog," he read aloud.

The book must have been helpful judging by the tattered pages, broken spine, and a few smudge marks on the first place when he opened it. Maybe this had some tips that would be helpful with Kiko's training, but for now, he needed to get her cleaned up and taken outside.

"Little shit," he whispered to her once he got her leash on. She just gazed back at him with bright blue eyes, her tail wagging in excitement. All four of her paws and the underside of her belly were wet from her accident. "You're going to need a bath."

* * *

Rukia listened intently to the woman singing. Her voice wasn't perfect, but she definitely had some talent. That was another thing Rukia liked about Mezamiz was the open mic night. It allowed people to venture even further into their creative sides by singing and playing songs, telling stories, or reading poetry. That was something Rukia actually could do a little bit. She didn't share them to people she knew in real life, but she had a page on a website and she had quite a few followers on her work. It brightened her day to read the reviews on her poetry.

She actually had something in mind for the weather they were having. Poems about winter were ones she enjoyed the best. Actually ones about anything in nature or...just poetry in general. Rukia clapped for the woman as she finished her song and she bowed shyly before quickly excusing herself from the stage. Gazing at the clock again, she could see that her shift was almost over. She didn't want to seem eager, but she already had her outfit for the night laid out. She had shot Orihime a quick text around five that afternoon and her roommate was willing to go as well and thankfully she was. Rukia honestly didn't like to go anywhere by herself when it came to parties and clubs. It was safer with more than one person.

She was realizing how stupid it was for her to walk home that early in the morning by herself. That was something Rukia would never do again. She had this eery feeling when she was walking, like someone was watching her. Then again, someone may have been. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled while she had been walking, but she did her best to ignore that. Hadn't she learned after what happened to her sister? There were a lot of evil people in this cruel world and she would not open herself up to be one of their victims.

Pulling herself from her thoughts, Rukia wiped her hands on a cloth before smiling at the male who was making his way towards the counter. "Nice to see you Uryu."

The dark haired male pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose. "Same to you Rukia."

"Same as always?"

"That's correct," Uryu answered. "You know me too well."

Rukia immediately began pouring his black coffee into a cup and placed a strawberry scone into the microwave. After his total rang up Uryu thanked her and took his items. Uryu had been coming to the Mezamiz coffee shop every Saturday since she began working there. He always came by himself, seemingly a loner. He normally just typed on his laptop the whole time except for when someone with an exceptionally good voice sang. He would close his laptop and sit with his legs crossed, fully engaged with the singer.

She and Uryu hit it off when once she was bringing him his coffee and caught him watching Black Lagoon, one of Rukia's favorite anime shows. She never would have guessed that he would like something with a lot of cursing, violence, and guns, but then again, most people didn't guess that with her. They discussed things they liked and didn't like about it, his being how bitchy Revy could be. The subject turned to other anime and seemed like they had similar interests when it came to that.

Gazing at the clock again, went to the back and informed Kaien that she would be leaving in a few minutes. Momo was walking behind the counter just as Rukia returned to it. She said her good evenings and made her way towards her apartment. It was dark of course, but the street was brightly lit with many people still walking along its path. Pulling her long black cloak around her body, Rukia tied her purple scarf round her neck and began to chilling journey home. The snowing had finally stopped and there was about three inches of snow on the ground and who knew if they would get more. Rukia would love to be snowed in one of these days, but it usually didn't snow enough for that.

It was about twenty minutes after ten when she got home. On her way up the stairs, Rukia being careful not to slip on the ice, she could hear the loud blaring of music. How could they be playing music that loud with neighbors around? Rukia rolled her eyes; if they didn't bother telling the neighbors, the party would probably be over by the time she got there.

When she entered her apartment, Orihime was dressed and sitting on the couch. She smiled brightly and stood up, grey orbs light with excitement. "Hi Rukia! I'm ready to go whenever you are!"

"You're sure in a good mood," Rukia mused. "How long have you been waiting?"

"Oh an hour or so."

Rukia frowned. "Why didn't you wait until I got home before you got ready?"

Orihime looked down and began twirling the end of her orange braid. "I um...well I was just too excited!"

Rukia began shedding her coat while walking to her room. "Excited for what?"

"To meet your new friends," Orihime answer while stopping in Rukia's doorway. "And we haven't hung out in a long time. It sucks being on different shifts."

That was true. She and Orihime knew each other back in high school. They had grown extremely close over the years. When the two discovered they wanted to go to the same school, they planned everything so they could live together. They of course had their falling outs from time to time, but they had always worked it out and stuck by each others side. Since they were both in school and was working, it got hectic to spend time together. The two women definitely had some catching up to do.

Rukia wasted no time in getting in the shower and getting dressed. After putting on some grey skinny jeans, Rukia pulled a royal blue long sleeved shirt oover her head. She loved the slits that went up each arm and adjusted her shirt while leaning closer to the mirror. Black liner and light lip gloss coated her lips and after a once over, she and Orihime got ready to go.

It felt like the temperature was cold enough to freeze her solid after having been in the warmth for so long. If someone didn't answer the door soon, Rukia would probably just sulk back into her apartment. Just as she was raising her hand to knock again, the door swung open and there stood Ichigo. He gave her a sultry smile and moved aside, holding his arm out.

"Please come in ladies."

Rukia took his advice and walked inside his apartment. He closed the door behind them and Rukia turned to look at her best friend. "Orihime, this is Ichigo.".

Orihime smiled warmly at Ichigo and held her hand out to him. "It's very nice to meet you Ichigo."

"Same to you Orihime," he responded kindly. He waved his hand towards the living room. To guys were were playing some sort of dance game. "Feel free to take a turn on Dance Central; it's pretty fun. There are also drinks in the kitchen and snacks."

Just that moment, Orihime's stomach grumbled loudly. She blushed and giggled nervously. "I think I'll take you up on that offer. Do you want anything Rukia?"

"Maybe in a little bit, but thank you."

Just as her friend headed towards the kitchen, Rukia saw what had been the reason why she wasn't able to sleep. Blue orbs turned to her and the puppy ran clumsily towards her. Rukia bent down and immediately began to love on the adorable puppy. Her grey fur was so soft and Rukia smiled when she began licking her fingers. The little pup jumped up, placing her front paws against Rukia's shin. The brunette stood up and turned her back to her. The puppy began to whimper, continuing to jump on the back of her leg until finally she made her way around so Rukia could see her.

The puppy continued to cry for a moment, but when she stopped, Rukia looked down and began praising her with sweet talk and rubs. It was a trick to teach them not to jump on people. The sooner she understood that, the better. "You're such a good girl!"

Ichigo watched with an interested glint in his eyes. "So you do like dogs."

"Who doesn't?" she countered, picking up the baby pup and continuing to pet her. "I just enjoy my sleep more. She's still super adorable. What's her name?"

"Kiko," Ichigo responded, reaching out to pet her. She responded by wagging her little tail. "She is definitely a handful."

"I've had my fair share of puppies and that is true about them," Rukia commented, placing Kiko down. "Once she's older and trained, it will be worth it."

She turned her attention back to the man behind her. His orange locks were in similar spikes as when she first met him. All white button up shirt covered his body, not leaving much to the imagination with how his muscles were easily definable through it. What really got her was the silver watch around his wrist. Since when did a watch make a man even more attractive?

Ichigo moved closer to her, making it so there was barely any space between them. His gaze seemed so heavy, those cinnamon colored eyes were looking directly into her. A grin turned the left corner of his mouth up. His long lashes seemed to bring out the color of his eyes even more.

He placed his hands in his pockets, continuing to cover in that smoldering gaze. "Is that so?"

"It is," Rukia responded quietly.

"Hey, am I interrupting something? Sure looks like it!"

Rukia turned to the voice, taking a step away from Ichigo's close vicinity. Renji walked towards them, throwing an arm around her shoulders. He smelled lightly of alcohol, his cheeks tinted pink. He smiled down at her.

"You definitely look better when you're not ranting at us."

Rukia sucked in her cheeks and moved from underneath his arm. "Shut up Renji."

He simply laughed. "Come Rukia, watch me play Dance Central."

Rukia looked over at Ichigo who rolled his eyes. "He's technically a cheater, but whatever."

"You're just jealous because you can't dance," Renji countered.

Rukia laughed softly, looking over at Ichigo's expression as he began to frown. She went to go sit on the tan couch. Orihime came to join her, welding two small sandwiches and a red cup. Rukia raised an eyebrow. Orihime was never the type to drink, but maybe it wasn't something alcoholic. She sat down next to Rukia and held out a sandwich to her. She didn't realize that she was hungry until she smelled the mustard on what looked like a turkey sandwich square. She gratefully took one and turned her eyes to watch Renji.

His long red hair was pulled into a low ponytail that cascaded down his back. He was bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. "Are you watching Rukia?"

"I'm watching Renji," she responded, clearly amused.

Next to him was a tall male with his head shaved...or was he bald. He gave Renji a confident smirk. "You're gonna lose Abarai!"

"Yeah right Ikkaku!"

"Oh dear, there they go again."

"Well let's do this song then," Renji challenged.

The one called Ikkaku eyes widened in surprise. "Are you serious?! Well you're on!"

Rukia turned to see a very feminine male sipping on a Bud Light. He brushed his ebony locks out of his face and adjusted the feathers attached to his eye lashes. Eyeliner that matched his hair made his eyes seem more exotic. Rukia was pretty sure the man was gay. Returning her eyes back to Renji, she watched as the scene showed two dancers side by side. When the song started, Rukia was surprised to hear the catchy beat of a R&B song.

Rukia was even more shocked as she watched the two males dancing. Renji moved with such fluidity. Because of the black tank top and grey shorts made it easy to see each dance move he did. The chains on his pants jingled as he danced. It was clear he was enjoying himself based on the smile that was on his face. Rukia was honestly very impressed.

At the end of the song, Renji seemed to look at Rukia for approval. She and Orihime clapped for him. Ikkaku didn't seem as happy for him since he had lost. He stalked off to the guy who was sitting on the couch with him.

"I didn't know you could dance Renji," Rukia said with a smile.

"Yeah," he answered while scratching the time. "It's something I've done since I was a kid. You haven't seen anything compared to what I can do."

"You'll have to show me some day," Rukia commented.

The party lasted for at least four more hours. They played beer pong and Rukia found that she was very good at it. That worked in her favor so she didn't have to drink as much. Beer was not something she liked to drink anyway. Her best friend unfortunately had been drunk off her ass. The drink she had gotten only three times that night did have vodka and Vanilla Rum in it. Rukia tried it and realized that you couldn't taste any of the alcohol in it thanks to Ichigo's skill. Turns out she was a very touchy feely drunk as well as extremely talkative. It was similar to when she got nervous and started to ramble.

Ichigo was currently trying to help her to the door as the party winded down. Her right arm was hooked around his neck tightly. Rukia walked to them. "I'll take her. Looks like she's had a good time."

"Oh yeah!" she slurred. "I had lots of fun! I like you guys!"

Rukia chuckled at her friend before assisting her stumble gait. She looked over her shoulder once they were outside. Ichigo was leaning against the door, his arms crossed over his chest.

"It was nice to see you again Rukia."

"Nice to see you as well Ichigo."

She helped her blitzed friend to bed before putting on her pjs and heading to bed herself. Despite it being very early in the morning, she was still a bit wired. She had spent some of the night just conversing with Ichigo. Despite the fact that she had screamed at him the night before, it was like it never happened. She had made sure to apologize, but he simply held up his hand to stop her and said all was forgiven.

She momentarily wondered when she would see him again. Right now, she really should worry about the quiz she would have to take on Monday. Sunday had to be pure study day.

* * *

**I can honestly see Renji being able to dance. I fangirled over it while I wrote it. I love Dance Central lol. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter and please let me know your thoughts!**


	3. III

**Thank you NarutoLuver896, Scarlotte O'Hara, Msaju17, Merikatori, God-ShadowEx100 (despite you reviewinmg: reported this garbage lol), and Writer's-411 for reviewing!**

**I apologize for the long wait. These last few months have been very stressful with finding out I can't go with my husband to his next base right now and trying to get him situated with his orders and everything.**

* * *

Kensei grunted and rubbed his face, taking a deep breath as he began to wake up. Sitting up, both hands went to press against his temples as if to ward off the headache that was sending sharp waves of pain through that area. Fuck, he shouldn't have drank that much last night, but oh well, the pain would wear off eventually.

Sitting up, the grey haired male got to his feet. For a moment, that increased his headache and he had to place his hand on the mahogany dresser to keep his balance while the searing pain ran its course. He needed to drink some water, get some food, and take some Advil to help with his hangover. First, there was something else he needed to do.

"Hey, wake up," he called to the female in his bed.

Orange locks peeked out from underneath the forest green covers. She only opened one sky blue orb to look at the male who was currently putting on a pair of black basketball shorts. She yawned and ran a hand through her long hair.

"Why don't you come back to bed Kensei?" she cooed, sitting up so the covers fell off her and her large breasts were exposed for his eyes to drink in.

"I have shit to do Rangiku," he responded, not even turning to look at her. "You're gonna have to get on out of here."

Rangiku pouted. It was always the same. Rangiku would go home with Kensei only for him to give her an excuse on why she needed to leave in the morning. She knew she wasn't the only woman that had his attention, but she wanted to be. Rangiku knew he was a douche bag, but it was the times where they spent just hanging out watching Netflix or going to Wal-Mart at two in the morning to get stuff to make breakfast. When they laughed together, it was genuine. When he held her to her chest and ruffled her hair, it felt real. When he kissed her, she knew he had to care about her. Rangiku knew it was partially her fault as well. Kensei had made it clear what his intentions were from the beginning.

Yoruichi and Soi Fon thought she was crazy to keep chasing after Kensei, hoping things would be different. She honestly didn't want to keep being his "go to" female when he wanted something, whether it was sex or company, but if that's what it took to spend time with him, so be it. Maybe one day, she would be able to change him as long as she continued showing him that she cared for him more than anyone else.

"At least let me make you breakfast," she said while getting out of bed.

"That's okay," he responded. "I'm going to grab something while I'm out."

Rangiku began to get dressed in her halter top green dress that had been thrown in a heap at the foot of the bed along with her underwear. What honestly did he have to do today? He only worked at Hot Topic in the mall. He didn't say anything about having to go to work though. Maybe that was why he was rushing her out. At that thought, it reminded her of something.

"Are you racing tonight Kensei?" she questioned, slipping her lace black thong on.

"Yeah," he responded. "Some newbie named Mashiro Kuna has challenged me. I've heard some good things about her, but she can't beat me."

"Of course not," Rangiku agreed. She picked her purse up from the small dresser next to the bed. "Text me where it is and I'll be sure to go and support."

"Sounds good."

Kensei had placed a grey muscle shirt over his head and pulled it down. With that he exited while throwing a "see ya later" over his shoulder. Rangiku heard the front door open and closed. With that, she assumed that he was gone, but she was surprised to see him re-enter the room.

"It's cold as fuck outside," he explained. His gaze moved over Rangiku. "I haven no clue how you're able to wear that type of stuff, especially at night."

"I wear it because you like it," she answered, giving him a sultry smile.

"Hmm."

Kensei took his shorts back off and opted for a pair of faded jeans. He through a long sleeved white shirt over his muscle shirt then got his black jacket off the floor. Instead of putting his vans back on, he traded them for tan Timberland boots. Kensei searched around for a little bit before opening the top drawer of the one he had been leaning on for and pulled out a pair of black gloves with a matching beanie.

He looked over at Rangiku with a smile that made her want to just rip off all his clothes again and show him what a real woman was like. He just absolutely delicious even though he was all bundled up.

"Alright, I'm going for real this time," he said chuckling.

Kensei went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge along with putting a small bottle of Advil that was on the counter in his pocket. It must have been a good thing that he had to change clothes since he needed these items greatly. He grabbed his keys off the counter as well and headed out. He didn't bother locking it since Rangiku knew to lock the door on the way out.

Pulling the hood of his jacket over his beanie. His eyes gazed over the white wonderland that was before him. All the cars that hadn't been moved yet had a thick layer of snow over it. There was still little flakes follow at that moment.

"Will it ever stop snowing?" he grumbled to himself.

Getting in his car, he headed over to the old warehouse. It was where his 2001 Mitsubishi Spyder was hidden. It was also and underground place to get the best gear for his car. Love was currently putting a Shine Street Wide body kit on it along with better turbo. Kensei had been into street racing since he was sixteen and now he was twenty-four. His father was the one who first introduced him to it, taking him for a ride during one of the races. Kensei had immediately fallen in love with racing and fast cars after that.

The fact that it was illegal and extremely dangerous made it all the more exciting to him. The adrenaline that rushed through his body was unlike nothing else. A blow job was close to it, but not quite there. This was his life and he may not be able to do it for the rest of his life, but he would enjoy it while he could. Another great thing about it was the _ridiculous _money he made when he won. Since he started racing, he had only been beaten once, and that had been his first race.

He went in way too confident, thinking that because the guy he was racing was ancient, that he stood a chance. After all, he was old as hell. His reaction time couldn't be as good as it used to. His confidence had been his downfall and he still remembered until this day what the old man had said to him after he lost:

_"You have potential young one, but you must drop your pride and understand your car before you can ever hope to be good in this world."_

Kensei had took Yamamoto's words to heart, and began actually learning everything he could about his car. He still had a bit of pride, but understood that he had to be one with his vehicle to win. A little luck never hurt either.

First driving past the warehouse, Kensei made sure no other cars were around. When he was sure, he turned back around and parked behind the large, steel building. Kensei got out of his car and went to the backdoor, knocking loudly. It was a few seconds, but then the door swung open and there stood a man with a large afro strangely shaped like a star and sunglasses on. Kensei never understood why he wore sunglasses _all _the time. His eyes probably looked crazy.

"Hey, you done with my car?" Kensei questioned, following Aikawa into the brightly area.

Kensei's car was not the only one in the warehouse. There were six others, all different colors, looking souped up and looking like a million bucks. Kensei's stood out the most with it's dark blue spider designs lining the side over a grey and white base. That car was his everything and he couldn't stop himself from walking over to it and running his hand along its hod, as if petting it.

"Do you have my money?" Love shot back, crossing his arms over his chest with a cocky smile.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Kensei reached into his pocket and tossed a roll of money at Love. "That should cover it right?"

"Definitely," Love said while laughing. "And thanks for the generous tip."

Kensei rubbed his temples once again. "I really need to start counting money before just handing it to you."

* * *

Rukia was at the coffee shop following a grueling day of clinicals. Despite the fact that she was at a Women's Health clinic today, something she thought would be a little quieter, it was chaos! Women are such _needy _creatures and have this awful sense of entitlement. Women would come up to the desk and demand to be seen that day for something they had let go for _two or three weeks_. Seriously, if it was that important, wouldn't you have been seen earlier? That was on top of the pap smears and procedures they had to do.

Rukia had to be honest, she didn't think gynecology was something she could do. Watching the EMB, endometrial biopsy nearly made her gag when the sample was placed in a formulin specimen jar looking like sausage. Absolutely _disgusting_. And she didn't even want to _think _about the odors some women left behind after their visit. Well at least they were trying to get it fixed.

Rukia shook her head vigorously, trying to get those thoughts out of her mind.

"Is something wrong with you?"

She looked up to see that girl that went to the club with Rangiku. The one with the dark hair...what was her name again?

Rukia chuckled. "Just trying to erase some awful memories from my head."

"I know the feeling," she responded, the corner of her mouth curving up a little. "So how long have you worked here?"

"Only a couple of months," Rukia answered while wiping off the dark counter and thankful that she remembered her name before it would have to be used. "It's actually nice to come here after a long day of classes or clinicals."

"Clinicals huh?" Soi Fon questioned. She began eying the case full of pasteries, brownies, cookies, scones, and muffins. "So you're like a nurse or something?"

"I will be when I finish school," Rukia answered.

Soi Fon turned her attention back to Rukia. Her gaze seemed to be smoldering. Rukia realized that she was very beautiful, despite having a rough exterior. She wasn't very feminine in attitude, but she definitely looked the part. Her dark grey eyes were piercing and beautiful. Her skin was fair, not a blemish tainting it. Then her hair was so black, it looked blue in the light.

"Can you take a break and have coffee with me?" Soi Fon questioned.

"Sure why not," Rukia answered. She turned to Kaien. "Do you mind if I take my break now?"

"Aren't ya taking it a little early?" Kaien's eyes narrowed suspiciously at her.

Rukia rolled her eyes. "If early is an hour late, then yes."

Kaien chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "Then it's okay with me."

Rukia turned her attention back to Soi Fon. "What would you like?"

"How about a white chocolate mocha?"

Rukia nodded. "You should try it with a little cinnamon and caramel in it. That's how I like mine."

Soi Fon smiled. "I'll take it then and I'll cover your drink as well."

Well that was very nice of her. She didn't think that Soi Fon had this side to her. She seemed very stand off ish when they first met...other than when she was trying to kiss her while she was drunk. Rukia's cheeks flushed at that thought and luckily she was facing away from the counter so Soi Fon couldn't see it.

She expertly mixed their drinks and ran it up, Soi Fon paying for their items. The two women went and sat down next one of the large windows. Above the table they were at on the wall was one of her favorite photographs. Most people just saw a crappy looking alleyway, but she absolutely loved that black and white picture.

Soi Fon's eyes wandered up to where Rukia was looking. "That's a nice painting."

"It's actually a photograph," Rukia corrected.

Soi Fon smiled at her again. "Are you sure?"

The brunette reached up and pulled the frame from the wall and placed it in front of Rukia. She gazed closer and could see the rough texture of paint instead of the smoothness of a picture. She was astonished. This whole time she thought it was a picture and it wasn't.

She laughed. "How did I not notice that?"

Soi Fon placed the frame back up on the wall. "Because you didn't look."

"Oh shut up," Rukia teased. She reached for her drink and sipped at it, enjoying the sweet and rich flavors. It warmed her from the inside out. "So what do you do Soi Fon?"

"I work for the SWAT team as well as teach Karate," she responded.

"Wow that's very cool," Rukia commented. "So you're like some sort of bad ass huh?"

"You could say that."

The two women laughed together. Soi Fon looked at her watch. "Well I've got to get out of here, but we should do this again sometime."

"We should."

Rukia stood to her feet just as Soi Fon did. The other woman was taller than her by just a few inches. Soi Fon reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a phone. Rukia in turn took out hers and handed it to her. They exchanged numbers and with a final goodbye, Soi Fon left.

Rukia returned to her place behind the counter. That was actually really nice. Rukia didn't have many friends and she was finally starting to branch out a bit. She liked Soi Fon so far and hopefully the would grow to be good friends.

Looking down at her phone, she realized she had a text message she hadn't seen yet. It was from Rangiku.

_I have some fun plans for tonight to see some races. Wanna come? _

What kind of races? Was it cars or horses or dogs? Probably not the two latter as it was really cold outside. The animals would slip and injure themselves if they weren't careful. Or did they scrape all the ice off or something. Rukia realized she was putting way too much thought into this and decided to text Rangiku back. She felt a little bad for brushing her off a week ago when she wanted to go to out again, but she just couldn't handle it after that crazy night at the club.

_Sure what time?_

* * *

It was around eight o'çlock and pitch black when Rangiku came to pick her up. She was actually dressed warmly so that meant they definitely were going to be outside. Rangiku's hair was pulled up into a beautiful bun on the top of her head and teardrop earrings hung from her ears, almost touching her neck.

"You look very nice Rangiku," Rukia commented giving her a warm smile.

Rangiku did a little dramatic twirl. "I do try dear. Come on, let's get going!"

They got into Rangiku's car and were off. Rukia was surprised to hear heavy rock music blaring from the speakers. She didn't really picture Rangiku as the type to listen to music like this. Just like she hadn't expected to see Renji dance to hip-hop music. She hadn't seen him or Ichigo since the party at their apartment. She wasn't worried. Rukia knew she'd run into Ichigo again.

The bright lights of the city began to fade for the darkness of the outskirts of town. Just where exactly were they going to see this race? She still didn't know where they were going. She voiced this question.

"You'll see," Rangiku responded, looking very excited. "You'll love it, I promise."

Rukia remained silent after that. Butterflies began to flutter in her stomach. The anticipation was killing her. Luckily, they only drove for about two more minutes. Rangiku pulled into what looked like an abandoned street. Rukia's violet eyes widened in surprise. Was she on the set of Fast and the Furious? There were so many amazing looking cars. Their engines revved loudly, only giving hint to the power that lie underneath their hoods. Many people were walking around them, but she noticed that there were two cars in front of a white line that painted the street.

"We're watching a street race?" Rukia questioned as they got out of the car.

"That's right! Pretty awesome huh?"

Rukia gazed around her. "Isn't this illegal?"

She didn't like the feel of that. Rukia tried to make sure she stayed away from anything that was illegal. She never had the drive to do anything against the law and now that she was in school, she didn't want to risk getting in trouble and losing everything. It wasn't worth it.

Squaring her shoulders, Rukia said. "I want to go. I don't want to be involved with anything illegal."

"Oh stop being such a goody two shoes,"Rangiku teased. "You won't get in trouble."

"Look I-"

"Aww come on, it's pretty cool, you gotta admit."

She turned to see that same guy that Rangiku was draped all over at the club. The douche bag that had those two other females on each of his arm when they got them. Rukia couldn't help but frown at him and wonder why Rangiku actually chased after a guy like him. He clearly just used women and did whatever the hell he wanted. She was able to guess that much after being in his presence for no more than five minutes total.

Still, his comment made her look over at the cars. They _were _really cool looking and she wanted to get a closer look. She thought hard on it. It wouldn't hurt to just watch this race and then never get involved with this again.

"Are you racing, um, what's your name again?"

The white haired male frowned. "Kensei. Haven't you heard of me?"

"No," Rukia said bluntly. "Which one is your car."

Kensei was shocked at how off putting this girl was. She was the first one who didn't look at him and pretty much start drooling. After all, he was extremely good looking and made sure to stay in shape, making him all the more appealing to the female eye. Kensei led Rangiku and Rukia to his car, using opening the hood as an excuse to let go of Rangiku's hand. She had grabbed it when he started walking and he was not about that.

Rukia looked at the engine with awe. She didn't know much about cars, especially about engines, but this one looked pretty cool. In fact, the whole car looked amazing. She wondered just how fast it could go.

"Do you like it?" Kensei stood with a cocky smirk on his face, arms crossed over his chest.

"It's cute," Rukia responded, brushing past him to open the driver door.

"Cute?" he reiterated, shocked at her choice of words.

Rukia ignored him, running her hands over the sleek black and dark blue interior. There were so many lights and gadgets lining the interior and she had no idea how to use any of it. She also noticed it was a manual, something she also didn't know how to drive. She didn't even have a car at this point. Rukia had been saving up for a little beater, but for now, she rode the bus.

"This is awesome," she murmured to herself.

"Wanna ride with me for the race?" Kensei questioned.

Rukia's eyes widened. _Did _she want to ride in this car when he was going extremely fast on crazy turns? They could get into an accident and then she may never fullfil her dreams to be a nurse...or be alive to achieve them. Still, something deep inside her _wanted _to do this. It wanted to experience a wild and dangerous side of life.

"Sure," she answered while getting out of the car. She locked eyes with Kensei. "You better win."

"I never lose," was his answer.

"Except for today!"

The trio turned to see a woman with the brightest green hair Rukia had ever seen _skipping _towards them. She looked no older than seventeen and wore a tight fitting white jumpsuit. She walked up to Kensei and poked a finger in his chest.

"You won't win against me Kensei-chan!" she exclaimed giddily. "I am undefeated!"

Kensei raised an eyebrow at her while Rangiku and Rukia giggled at the fact that she had called him "Kensei-chan". "Are you an idiot or something?"

The woman pouted, her bottom lip noticeably poking out. "I'm not stupid, you're stupid!"

Rukia's giggles turned into outright laughter. This woman was a bit childish, but her personality was hilarious. She honestly didn't think she stood a chance in beating Kensei just based on looks, but looks could be deceiving.

"Let's get this started!"

Both their cars were lined up at the starting line. Rukia was in the passenger seat, her heart pounding a mile a minute. She didn't seem to know what to do with her hands. At first she placed them on her knees, then her right hand went to grip the door. Kensei's gaze was on her while they waited.

"You seem excited."

"I am," Rukia answered, looking around at everyone standing on the sidelines. "I've never done anything like this before."

Kensei placed his right hand on the wheel. "It's fucking awesome. You'll like it a lot, but we need to lay down some ground rules."

Rukia looked at him curiously. "What rules?"

"No screaming, no shouting, no talking," he responded. "I'm taking a big risk letting you be in here in the first place so don't distract me."

Rukia frowned. "Well you _offered _to let me ride with you so if you think I'll be such a burden, why did you ask me in the first place?"

Kensei grinned at her, rubbing his left hand over his chin before turning his attention back to the road. "I have no fucking clue."

With that, the girl standing in between the cars dropped the two checkered flags she was holding. Rukia felt like she was on a roller coaster with how she was immediately pasted to her seat. She held tightly onto her seat belt with one hand and the handle at the top of the door with the other. She gazed out the window as Kensei shifted gears, loving the rumble of the car underneath. The engine revved loudly as he picked up speed. Rukia watched the atmosphere blur to unrecognizable streaks of random colors.

Rukia continued to hold on tightly when Kensei swerved around the first corner. She looked through his side window and saw that the other woman, who's name she learned was Mashiro, was a little bit ahead of them, but they were still pretty much neck and neck. Kensei turned to look at Rukia for a brief second, feeling extremely cocky that he had impressed this Rukia girl so much. He didn't know why he wanted to impress her in the first place. It must be because she didn't really care for him at first.

He turned his attention back to the road. "Shit!"

He slowed down greatly in order to make a turn, causing Mashiro to fly past him and lose him by almost a hundred feet. They were now on the stretch and he had to catch her. Now it was just a test of who's car was faster. He punched the gas all the way to the floor, the engine responded immediately to his request.

"You better win," Rukia said quietly.

Kensei remained silent for a moment. He smiled and flipped open a little box next to the shift. "I will so shut your trap."

"Stop talking and get on with it then!"

Kensei pressed the button and suddenly the car was going at a speed that was unimaginable. Mashiro's car was getting closer and closer, but so was the finish line. Rukia watched with anticipation, her eyes darting from the finish line to Mashiro's car. It was only about four seconds later when they crossed the finish line.

They got out of the car and Rangiku greeted them excitedly. "You won!"

She threw her arms around Kensei, who placed on hand on her lower back. Rukia got out of the car, her legs feeling like jello from the crazy adrenaline rush. That was so much fun! She had never done something that exhilarating before and now felt like she could do anything.

"Rukia."

She turned. "Yeah Kensei?"

"That was fun right?" he asked.

She smiled and looked up at the night sky. "It was unlike anything I've ever done before.

* * *

**Bet you guys didn't think Kensei would be a street racer lol? The part about Women's Health was true as well. How do I know? I work there lol. Hope you guys enjoyed it so far! I promise I'll be updating sooner!**


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